Post Office scandal: workers react to ex-CEO Vennells at inquiry

The subpostmasters whose lives were ruined by the Post Office Horizon scandal have waited many years for today.
We joined two of them, as they watched former Post Office CEO, Paula Vennells give evidence to the ongoing inquiry.
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[@Dubjaxfilms]

She cried for herself, not for those people she harmed

[@guff9567]

PRECISELY

[@mandolinic]

Crocodile tears from a repellent reptile.

[@laphelps1]

My thoughts exactly 👍🏼

[@guff9567]

@@mandolinic stop insulting vile reptiles

[@jameschristopher2540]

Anyone can tell she cried for herself not for the victims.

[@alberttickle1106]

There MUST be prison sentences handed out...

[@goldjellyfish2452]

Yeah please

[@majorlaff8682]

Ten to twenty should give her time to consider her guilt.

[@TheFunkadelicFan]

If there are any prison sentences, they will go to low-level management without any responsibility. The real criminals will freely continue to live off their ill-gotten gains. That's the kind of society we live in. They do it, because WE LET THEM.

[@goldjellyfish2452]

@@TheFunkadelicFan you are right, unfortunately... seems like there is never any accountability..

[@Coneman3]

Need public marches if not

[@stpd1957]

It was an appalling performance by Vennells

[@Katienixton]

This is so desperately sad. And Paula plays victim!!! How dare she

[@starmersbarber]

She's not worthy of being called by just her first name.

[@philhart4849]

Her evil is murderous.

[@SuperParatech]

Her performances in the Parliamentary Select committees shows she had no doubts about the prosecutions. There was opportunities to find out more if indeed she truly was as naïve and incompetent as she tries to display now

[@sweeta17]

exactly what i feel . on top of that it is another insult to the people she harmed so badly .

[@PhilHart-j9y]

@@sweeta17 I see her as remaining in denial of the homicidal aspects of her personality.

[@MrSmriley]

Vennells needs to be in prison, and her hefty pension cancelled so that she can't continue to profit from her crimes.

[@UkOutreach]

She did her best, now she needs a lot of tlc.

[@dapfordvondappington8306]

"We know the difference between right and wrong, those people don't" Says it all to me. The people effected do not just need compensation, they deserve justice.

[@MarkBishop-rt3zl]

Vennells etc DO know right from wrong,they just don't care.Psychopaths,no conscience.

[@JugglinJellyTake01]

Vennells had years to deal with this. Many committed suicide, many were jailed, bankrupted, divorced or shunned by their community. None have received appropriate recompense nor a genuine apology. Crocodile tears after years of proactively deceiving the courts, lawyers and government does not wash. Only lengthy jail sentences, loss of pensions, repayment of bonuses will do for all those involved will do.

[@coppershark1973]

Fully agree. These bastards should have their money stripped before ANY Tax payer money is used for compensating the innocent victims. The RICH and POWERFUL criminals need to be taught a hard and fast lesson, corruption is not to be tolerated and bailed out by the PUBLIC PURSE. ENOUGH!

[@cathcartlepick]

But deep in our hearts we know that’s not going to happen she & her cohort’s will live the life of luxury on their ill gotten gains without accountability or remorse ( fact ) 😡

[@endintiers]

Indeed. " Pour encourager les autres". They need to be made an example of to deter similar events in the future.

[@BlackStump172]

She should be bankrupted and jailed for twenty years .

[@normankennith7919]

vennells is such a good liar, she should be in the tory government!! she is probably a member of the party already!!!

[@zetectic7968]

3 times people in the inquiry room laughed at the ridiculousness of her testimony. I wasn't told, I didn't know, I read a document & didn't understand the significance, I delegated tasks & never bothered to asked what the result was. Surrounded herself with people that just told her what she wanted to hear.

[@philhart4849]

She is a typical narcissist.

[@stevenclarke5606]

The Post Office Senior Management all have developed Amnesia

[@jamesgreen807]

​​@@stevenclarke5606"THEY" never forget where too collect their BLOOD MONEY!!!!!!

[@heathermaich8966]

Paula Vennells and co needs to go to jail otherwise they will get away with it and not take what they have done seriously

[@jamfletcher8565]

And it’s a green light to other corporations that they can do what they please

[@jamfletcher8565]

Chilling that Vennells instructed her staff to dig for information on the poor guy who ended his life. To expect the inquiry to accept that this was for any reason other than to deflect blame from the Post Office is utter contempt.

[@geoffpoole483]

Vennells is a practising Christian and an ordained minister. She was also considered for the post of Bishop of London.

[@wickedwitchoftheeast88]

​@@geoffpoole483 she won't be getting that now and she won't preaching her sermons either now the UK know she's a lying, cheating and thieving hypocrite! She won't be going to prison so lets hope the british public make her suffer every time she goes out!

[@John-ks6si]

I don't think she knows what it is to be Christian. She's not emotionally fully formed.

[@charlottetaylor4471]

She's a sadistic sociopath.

[@prakashmakwana6907]

Immoral and self serving. They should all pay the full price of real justice - jail time, loss of pensions, repayment of massive bonuses.

[@saltireeire5775]

Utterly ridiculous. She should be in jail and those wronged need their money and FULL APOLOGY NOW!

[@michaelparker5510]

If Paula Vennells and others aren’t jailed then all my faith in justice is gone

[@wendysimpson6395]

Narcissist playing the victim card over and over again.🤬😡🤬

[@Brian.001]

It's the standard strategy these days. It's never my fault.

[@billsmith-hl8rk]

She tried/cried for a BAFTA but tears will not bring back the dead.

[@mikkelnielsen888]

she might win a reality award :D

[@jamesgreen807]

​@@mikkelnielsen888She might buy an award, like megs does!!!!

[@Jez-Hero24]

Where are the TEARS, just like Philpot who torched his own kids narcissistic to the core.

[@davidganning8699]

Deep shame on both her and the post office in general

[@Looney-toon]

Crocodile tears 🐊🐊🐊🐊🐊 She is lying through her teeth, Paula should do time. Anyone who has ever worked with Fujitsu knows you couldn't trust them as far as you can throw them.

[@MilitaryHistoryWithWill71]

It's the "I dont want to go to jail" look.

[@tonychorley4936]

Vennels shut down the very consultants that were brought in to look at the problems, she wanted to cover her ears singing la, la, la whilst insisting there were no problems and it was a priority to protect the brand, not help the people being wrongly accused.

[@stevebourne3073]

Paula Vennells MUST pay the price for LYING TO PARLIAMENT, INNOCENT Post Office workers went to PRISON ,NOW it is her turn. JUSTICE FOR ALL P.O. WORKERS

[@albertliu1068]

She was trying to cry to get sympathy but it is now clear that she is catatonic. You can tell that she tried but there was no real tears there which make her expression looking comical !

[@caterinawilliams998]

There were no tears and she recovered immediately soon after it was a little performance...she is so self centered

[@tomhollandroberts1737]

She can't help her good looks.😝😝😝😝

[@petertaysum8947]

Keep in mind she had ambitions to sit in The House of Lords. Her professional lack of curiosity beggars belief. Despite working in Royal Mail before, she was unaware that is was POL that were bringing the prosecutions, even though there was a hundred strong department of investigators and lawyers. Many of those that have attended the Inquiry have shown astounding levels of incompetence, alongside their silo mentality. Who 'enabled" this lacklustre goon squad, motivated by generous bonuses, to persecute a thousand business entities?

[@theobserver2309]

Yes, very well said indeed.

[@45rocker]

And keep in mind that one of her stated favourite pastimes was going to church

[@charlesdale1462]

Incompetent? No. Ambitious yes and with the knowledge that they could outgun everyone. Shame on the legal trade for inflicting themselves on the general public.

[@petertaysum8947]

@@charlesdale1462 Check out Jarnail Singh's testimony for a masterclass in poor abilities. I take the view that the incompetent can flourish in such an environment of silo management.

[@caterinawilliams998]

​@@charlesdale1462agree, she is extremely ambitious and totally addicted to power and control, she knew everything...from.pnevsifevshevsaus that a good CEO is asking questions all the time and she was particularly curious and then on the other she doesn't bother to ask anything just trusting whatever is put in front of her....she can not have both ways

[@MrStraightGangsta]

I lost everything through that system and I still don't dare bring up my case

[@ThePondweed]

Crying because she was caught.

[@philhart4849]

Evil wretches do not like being caught out.

[@damianleah6744]

Post office CEO ,Directors and lawyers just had a default on post masters that they were thieves waiting to be caught, even when presented with evidence to the contrary, they ploughed ahead with the tunnel vision of what was going on for the sake of protecting the brand thus protecting themselves.

[@tomricketts7821]

The post masters were only little people not real people like the managerial elite who were entitled to to everything they granted themselves while the postmasters were just dirt beneath their feet

[@knicol46]

Amazing all the directors and lawyers all suffer from selecitve amnesia only when evidence is found against them. They are all 'at it' or its not an act.

[@richardmaguire9536]

Crying, but not with the despair of an innocent woman giving birth in a prison hospital.

[@charleshallam3216]

God bless you, Sarah. ❤ God bless all of those whose lives were ruined by these people!

[@ysgol3]

These poor, poor victims. They make me think of Martin Luther King's words - 'An injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere'. I found Vennells's self-justificatory, self-pitying and obviously absurd performance as nauseating a public spectacle as I've ever seen in my life. Has the woman NO sense of propriety? Didn't she realise how sickened her snivelling would make victims, their families and friends, and all decent people watching on TV feel? That appalling person belongs in court, prosecuted and convicted for gross negligence manslaughter, and sentenced to a year in prison for each one of the tears of narcissism she shed.

[@GlasPthalocyanine]

Integrity and reputation mean much more to the subpostmasters than someone like Paula Vennells is capable of understanding.

[@philhart4849]

Her greed and arrogance are truly appalling.

[@jeffsuter344]

Vennells and many others MUST be jailed.

[@andyiswonderful]

Why was the identity of the post officer interrogator concealed?

[@charlesdale1462]

Probably not to prejudice a possible trial.......

[@neneintegrity9082]

Sadly this still happening within so many other organisations, companies, charities, etc... Time for a deep clear fair clean. Nobody should have gone through this for doing their jobs in the high standards level. Time is now!!!

[@judithmatthews8460]

The agony and stress she put these people through she could cry a river and I wouldn’t be sorry. She is still blaming others. But she was given 8 cases of SPM she called “disturbing”. What did she do then? Investigate? No. Sacked the man who gave them to her. She knew, she read about the trauma and she covered it up because it would have cost the Post office money and reputation. Cry Paula and I hope they jail you.

[@keorbats9429]

Real tears, real emotion, not like the automaton Vennells who acts the victim.

[@kevinwilliams1768]

utter disgrace I feel so sorry for these people

[@0xDEAFF00D]

Oh, these captains of industry are so deserving of their bonuses and accolades, but once anything turns pear-shaped and public suddenly they are "unsure of how to proceed" and "unclear on the details" and "not in a position to make informed decisions". Funny how no one in charge was actually in a decision making capacity, except for the decisions to hide details, dissemble and prevaricate, and eventually, perjury. Now that the game is fully and truly up, here come the tears.

[@philhart4849]

She is lying through her teeth, both factually and emotionally.

[@dogzero1]

THIS IS IMPORTANT. And I want to know why no one has looked into this and asked the questions. Mr Rudkin was invited to Fujitsu Bracknell HQ. He saw what he saw. The next day his wife was awoken by a Post Office Audit team to suddenly announce that they were now 40,000 quid in the black and Rudkin sacked etc. They ( the post office and Fujitsu then denied Rudkin had ever been to the Bracknell HQ and the visitor book vanished and emails were deleted) Their lives were ruined that day because of what Mr Rudkink saw and heard. WHO at POL and Fujitsu ordered that REVENGE audit? Someone high up ordered all that to happen. Why has this not been brought up in the enquiry?

[@ronniejones4183]

I really hope you get justice in the end.

[@brianmacadam4793]

There should be a proper inquiry, by someone with real authority. These middle managers showed utter contempt for their subordinate employees.

[@Dav1Gv]

Vennels didn't seem to be interested in finding what was happening. She must be completely thick or totally self centered. How could anyone be in any business and not know about the prosecurtions? That said it does seem as if a lot of the other senior staff were covering up and not telling her. They should all go to prison.

[@entlim]

Vennals should be prosecuted

[@alanwilliams4835]

Can you fucking believe it? I now see adverts on the TV for life insurance from the post office they’ve got to be joking.

[@GlasPthalocyanine]

They don't do business insurance? I'm surprised they haven't latched onto that little earner. They must know quite a bit about the reasons businesses fail, by now.

[@KennethSwaby-j9d]

Shame on you people who were and are still involved. 😢😢😢😢

[@LiamBehan-hi1uv]

Crocodile tears the utter liar

[@vickyforster9366]

It makes me so upset for all these postmasters and postmistress, please know a lot of people are thinking about them. I am so sorry this happened there is no justice in what happened.I only hope you get the recognition,support,and compensation you all need. Godbless you all for the harrowing times ,the awful times you and your families have been through .. Thinking of you all , stay strong and please know I am wishing you Good health and best wishes ,I am very sorry you all went through so many bad times .

[@paulbird3235]

Miss High and Mighty with her loyal team behind her, just like a pack of hounds! 🙄😒...

[@RosePostedThis]

She's not going through a fraction of what all those many others went through.

[@user-jt3dj4dd7j]

Prison

[@sandraowens4547]

Crocodile tears by Vennel she needs to go to prison with the others involved?nd tears will be cos she got caught

[@BLUESKY-zt1nv]

THE outcome will be "Lessons will be learned " ..followed by "Lets be clear" ..."Crystal clear" clear this and clear that .. Case closed.....and everyone will live happily for ever after ..oh and Paula Vennells will be the next prime minister ..

[@briansymmes7917]

If you ever needed more proof that God doesn’t exist, the fact that Vennels can go into a church without being struck by a bolt of lightning should convince you.

[@pinballrobbie]

Great comment!

[@markherzog9484]

Crocodile tears from a perjurer and only jail will be a suitable outcome……..

[@jayawilder3835]

CROCODILE TEARS!

[@gylldevlin8478]

100% those tears are for herself and her OWN downfalls. She needs a reality check.

[@odeode4338]

The audio is horrible. Did you forget how stereo works?

[@BondDerek]

Paula Vennells, a woman of God, a ordained vicar, not practising what she preaches ... come clean for your conscience, and, your victims.

[@philhart4849]

She has a conscience? I see her as manipulating public opinion for all she is worth.

[@spencerhulme1203]

She cried as she was realising the deapth of trouble she was in, and the fact of being hard pressed like a criminal, guilty your honour!

[@peterbennett5910]

Arrest Vennells tonight

[@juliemchugh8828]

No, I want to see her squirm for her full time at the Enquiry, then arrest her!

[@dirtydawg448]

That woman is pure evil

[@Masud_S_Hoghughi]

What I don't get is how such rubbish people are put in charge.....

[@dwaynedibley2790]

The woman has the front to act the victim of this very horrible situation caused by herself and everyone involved in the poor n horrible things these postmasters and families had to constantly go through stop all her assets pension. Salary bonus handed back into repayment to these postmasters and her religious income and status stripped. Like she sat back and agreed to do to those people. But can the enquiry find out what actually happened to the savings these poor people had to pay the post office. as it was only false figures that horizon changed. As no money was actually taken were did they're money go to ?????

[@coldpotatoes2556]

Where is the prosecution on Fujitsu engineers who have accessed accounts remotely and stolen the money? Or did they find it? Not to take away from Paula who intentionally covered it up.

[@marth9660]

Me me me me me. The typical institutional apology. It’s chilling.

[@johnlowe-tq6ey]

They choose robots with knives....all the same

[@DominicBerry-d5h]

The Post Office has behaved awfully. It is CONTINUING to do so. “I was just following orders “ “That was the information I was given “It was a long time ago” No. You were responsible for what you did. Hand over the documents and pay up.

[@colinmiller8361]

I hope you and all the other SPM's get the justice you all deserve and get it soon.

[@45rocker]

So, a brand new computer system is introduced and there follows some 700 prosecutions (prosecutions!) of employees, augmented by a vast legal department in her realm, and the CEO isn't bothered to find out how things were going? I guess counting the paper clips was more interesting and perhaps appropriate to her competence.

[@lauriebarns9901]

Part of me says the po management should receive the level of empathy/justice they administered; part says we should be better than that. On balance, real justice includes prison time for those responsible, whether by commission or ommission.

[@GarrettReynolds-uh9vj]

Look at the eyelids-frustrated lying😮

[@alistairshaw502]

‘I don’t know how she’s got the brass neck’ - says it all, really.

[@davidmullins8472]

IF a private prosecution is necessary. Then there will be a huge shame on the government, if they don't react beyond just words.

[@sak079]

Can understand their anger - utterly inept leadership from the post office. The post office needs to deeper dive into how such an inept CEO moved up through the ranks.

[@Scott-up3bq]

In England There is a us and them system which has been in force for centuries.lets hope them,Paula vennells and her group,are shown the same mercy us,the postmasters when the justice is han

[@lonelylantern9135]

Lock Vennells up. What an evil person.

[@AlanTaylorCRSmusicproduction]

Vennells needs to go to jail for a very long time

[@guff9567]

Vennells is rotten to the core

[@sailingwhitsundays5672]

Did no one frm PO go see & talk to these ppl to guage ANY moral compass of all these accused sub postmasters. The spike in prosecutions w Horizon should’ve raised a red flag. 🚩 it’s unfathomable.

[@philhart4849]

Paula Vennells has no moral compass.

[@charlesdale1462]

​@@philhart4849. She's got Jehovah on her side.....

[@michaelkemp6857]

Vennells - you have got blood on your hands!!

[@verynormalman]

Please.......prison for 10 years. Loss of all her pension. Reclaim of every bonus she received. Civil action for a proportion of her salary, that she clearly didn't earn.

[@paulsaunders6536]

You don’t become the boss of an organisation like the Post Office unless you are extremely clever, able and competent. To try to profess a level of ignorance as to what was going on within the organisation you are in charge of and accountable for that we are witnessing is utterly unbelievable. Had she been as unaware as she claims, bordering on complete incompetence, she would never have been appointed to the position in the first place.

[@aubs400]

Usually, when a guilty woman cries, there's a danger of people going soft on her. This time I don't think it'll work

[@sleepinglioness5754]

These are the heroes. The tragedy of this, all because this woman covered up and sent these innocent people to the slaughter for her own gain. Where is the Prime Minister on this? Why hasn't he said enough is enough and pay up? The government is corrupt and the British people should realize if they would do it to these people, they'll do it to them.

[@johnwainwright6205]

I hope to reassure people; The police ARE closely monitoring the inquiry, and Sky News have reported Mr.Alan Bates was, at the time of Paula Vennells first day had a meeting with the police "for an update"..

[@ChrispyNut]

Destroying institutions to protect them has such a long history ... but as with most history, "we" refuse to learn from.

[@AlanTaylorCRSmusicproduction]

Keep strong Michael. The massive majority of the British people are on your side.

[@DatFwad]

Her tears didn’t muster an ounce of sympathy in me.

[@saigonpete]

Everyone at Post Office Ltd. is guilty!

[@cp4512]

The poor ex-subpostmistress lady in this video had honest tears. Vennells just had false crocodile tears which were shameless.

[@BargainBarons]

The real criminals have stolen these innocent people's money, their lives, their future, and no consequences for them. DISGUSTING. ABSOLUTE DEPRAVITY.

[@joanneramsden1514]

This is exactly what the post office is counting on. That nobody Will still be alive to receive compensation or justice.

[@davidfleming7989]

Silly giggle ,half a smile, a few tears .!!!Sorry 😢

[@MargaretBrady-e9x]

Vennells was a vicar!!! This woman should end up in prison for all the lives that she ruined!

[@aafiaturkey6748]

Lock her up!

[@Dinadino994]

I kinda know this feeling , there’s a scandal with carers benefit claims causing massive arrears and I’m one of them Evicted because of clerical mistakes. I’m fed up with incompetent greedy officials!

[@Scott-up3bq]

Sorry bit early here in western Australia.i think everybody even expats watching from everywhere want justice.the tv show was on here not long ago so we all have seen it

[@2412Bec]

If paula was truly sorry, like really, really sorry, she would be transparent about her earning over the period she was in charge. Then, volunteer this money ( even if she needs to sell one of her houses) to the postmasters compensation fund. Then i...... might start to believe that pathetic apology #postmasters #postoffice #paulavennells

[@KIA-MIA-POW]

If justice is to be seen and justice served, then all senior POL executives should be gaoled and barred from ever holding a government funded position ever again.

[@StimParavane]

But Paula cried like the strong empowered woman she is.

[@HandleorHandle]

The Parliament/government UK needs to bring in laws to protect the consumers and the public, and more broadly, to protect everyone against this type of criminal activities and fraudulent activities by CEOs, board of directors, managers, fraud investigators, law firms, etc. Laws will make these criminals accountable for their actions in the uk and overseas !

[@solarmaru49]

This would have been right when women ceos were told that they could do no wrong.